Raising Awareness of Aortic Dissection

Our very generous 'thank you' package for helping to raise awareness

An element of our recent #TimFest party was to raise awareness of aortic dissection - the sudden, life-changing, medical condition that put me in hospital 20 years ago.

As a very generous 'thank you' for that, and helping to raise a bit of cash in the process, the Aortic Dissection Awareness charity sent Rachel and I a box full of promotional merch this week.

We each got a couple of very comfortable t-shirts, a pair of wristbands, a lanyard, a mug and the charity's 'patient guide book'.

This latter publication is full of useful information for patients, family, and carers for after an aortic dissection, written by patients for patients.

Rachel has been working with this charity for years and helped proof the almost 100-page book (receiving an acknowledgment in the credits).

Conversely, because of my 20 years of PTSD, this is my first direct involvement with Aortic Dissection Awareness (part of the global Think Aorta campaign). 

Hopefully, now though, I'll be able to do some more, concerted, fundraising for them in the future.

In the past I've raised money for the UK's stroke charity (as I suffered a stroke during the emergency open heart surgery to patch up my fractured aorta), and I still give them a small remuneration every month, but as I'm now more comfortable talking about my aortic dissection I should do what I can to raise awareness of that.